85% of Interviewers Confess to Potentially Illegal Inquiries

  • 85% of interviewers admit asking potentially illegal or ‘off limits’ questions during interviews.
  • Confusion among hiring managers regarding what can be asked in an interview.
  • Only 36% of junior-level staff received training on appropriate interview questions, while 72% of business owners did.
  • 77% of interviewers do not think asking about maternity/paternity leave is potentially illegal.
  • Male hiring managers are more likely to consider the question acceptable than female ones.
  • 19% of employees feel mistreated in interviews, with 43% telling interviewers how they felt.
  • Protected characteristics cannot be asked about during interviews to avoid discrimination.
  • Top 10 off-limits questions include age, family plans, and accent origin.
  • Founder of Hyper Recruitment Solutions calls for mandatory training in all sectors.

A study by UK science and technology recruitment specialists, Hyper Recruitment Solutions (HRS), reveals that 85% of interviewers have asked potentially illegal or ‘off limits’ questions during interviews. Hiring managers are also confused about what they can ask, with 47% never having official training on appropriate questions. Only 36% at junior levels received training, while 72% of business owners did. Most (77%) believe asking about maternity/paternity leave is not potentially illegal. Male hiring managers are more likely to consider it acceptable than females. 19% of employees report feeling mistreated in interviews; 43% told interviewers how they felt, while only 17% complained to the company. HRS founder Ricky Martin urges mandatory training for all sectors.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about the findings of Hyper Recruitment Solutions’ research on interview practices and includes quotes from the founder of the company. It also presents statistics on the prevalence of certain questions asked during interviews and the experiences of employees who felt mistreated. However, it could have provided more context on the legal implications of asking ‘off limits’ questions and included perspectives from experts in employment law or human resources.
Noise Level: 6
Noise Justification: The article provides some relevant information about interview practices and the need for better training among hiring managers. However, it contains some repetitive information and could benefit from more analysis or discussion of the implications of these findings on the job market and potential solutions to address this issue.
Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses interview practices and the impact on employees but does not directly affect financial markets or companies.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Minor
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event mentioned in the article. The information provided discusses a lack of interview training and potential discrimination in hiring practices, but it does not describe an extreme event that happened within the last 48 hours.

Reported publicly: www.retailsector.co.uk